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Undercurrent News: Letter shows BOEM was ready to move ahead on US wind farm without NMFS blessing

By News

Before the US president Donald Trump administration ordered a delay of the country’s first offshore wind farm late last week, it was the belief of at least some of its officials that making the changes requested by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) would be disastrous and NMFS approval was not needed to move ahead anyhow, Undercurrent News has learned.

Interior secretary David Bernhardt on Friday told Bloomberg that he has ordered an additional study by his department of the Vineyard Wind project, a plan to build more than 80 giant wind turbines on a 118-mile stretch of ocean some 15 miles from the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, before going ahead with a final environmental impact statement (EIS).

The decision puts in jeopardy the $2.8 billion project, which had promised to supply a combined 800 megawatts of power to at least 400,000 New England homes and businesses but had worried the commercial fishing industry. It was scheduled to begin construction this year and be operational by early 2022.

Bernhardt reportedly told the news service that it’s important the impact of the project be thoroughly studied. “For offshore wind to thrive on the outer continental shelf, the federal government has to dot their I’s and cross their T’s,” he said.

A Vineyard Wind spokesman called the Interior Department’s decision “a surprise and disappointment” and said his company urged the federal government to “complete the review as quickly as possible”.

As reported last week by Undercurrent News, the US Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has seemingly dragged its feet on Vineyard Wind’s final EIS since receiving at least two letters from Michael Pentony, the regional administrator for NMFS’ greater Atlantic office.

One 44-page letter, sent in March to James Bennett, head of BOEM’s Office of Renewable Programs, provided a detailed critique of a half dozen alternative approaches for the wind farm under consideration.  Another short three-page letter sent by Pentony on April 16, restated some of the same concerns, including NMFS’ request for more space between the turbines and an overall different directional orientation.

“We reviewed your preferred alternative and associated rationale provided in your letter dated April 3, 2019, and are writing to inform you that [NMFS] does not concur with your choice of a preferred alternative,” the second letter states.

A copy of the second letter was earlier obtained by Reuters and has since also been secured by Undercurrent.

Many of NMFS’ concerns echo those expressed earlier by the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance (RODA), a group of 160 commercial harvesters and processors with vessels spread across nine states and operating in about 30 different fisheries. RODA fears the disruption caused by the large towers and their transmission cables will interfere with the harvesting of cod, squid, oysters, lobsters and other species as well as a major transit route for scallop and other fishermen.

RODA executive director Annie Hawkins could not be reached for comment for this article.

Delays could prevent tax credits

If BOEM was prepared to hold up the final EIS for the Vineyard Wind project, that wasn’t clear from a 12-page letter sent on April 26 to Samuel Rauch, NMFS’ deputy assistant administrator for regulatory programs, and signed by William Brown, BOEM’s chief environmental officer. It advised that the agency has “concerns with the April 16 NMFS response”.

“If NMFS does not concur, however, we are prepared to note its non-concurrence in the final EIS and the [record of decision], and we are also prepared to note which if any of the alternatives in the EIS NMFS does prefer,” Brown’s letter stated.

Brown expressed a sense of urgency.

Vineyard Wind, a New Bedford, Massachusetts-based joint venture between Avangrid, a division of the Spanish wind giant Iberdrola, and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, a Denmark-based investment firm, had hoped to begin construction in 2019, putting the first turbine in the seabed in 2021 and having all of its turbines operational by 2022.

The project has environmentalists as well as several prominent Massachusetts political leaders on its side, as it’s expected to provide several hundred jobs while reducing carbon emissions by over 1.6 million metric tons per year.

However, accepting the changes NMFS and the commercial fishing industry seeks, including surveys of multiple species in the affected areas, would “make it impossible for Vineyard Wind to commence commercial operations in time to meet the requirements of its power purchase agreement (PPA),” Brown said, referencing the deal the wind farm has with the local utility.

The delays would further prevent Vineyard “from qualifying for a federal investment tax credit, which in turn would likely prevent the company from delivering power at the price agreed to in the PPA”, he advised.

If BOEM were to go along with NMFS’ suggested changes, he said, it “would be approving a project with very little likelihood of eventual construction”.

No explanation for the delay

Despite the strong statements in Wood’s letter, BOEM began to telegraph that it might not move forward with its final EIS. In early July when it notified project officials that the government was “not yet prepared” to issue the document, as expected.

No explanation was offered for the delay. One source speculated to Undercurrent that it may be due to president Trump’s administration being unwilling to have its “One Federal Decision” policy tested under less than perfect circumstances.

The policy, issued two years ago by executive order, accelerates the permitting process by making one federal agency the “lead action agency” and establishing that separate permits are no longer required from the other agencies.

BOEM is the lead action agency for the Vineyard Wind project.

BOEM may be able to move forward with a final EIS after having it reviewed by the other federal agencies with roles in the permitting process for major infrastructure projects, including the US Army Corps of Engineers and NMFS. However, it is not clear that it is required, and the Vineyard Wind project decision is likely to get tested in court, the source said.

Letter shows BOEM was ready to move ahead on US wind farm without NMFS blessing

August 13, 2019
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Commonwealth Magazine: Vineyard Wind layout tough issue for regulators

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VINEYARD WIND’S TURBINE LAYOUT is likely one of the sticking points that prompted federal regulators late last week to expand their environmental review of the wind farm to include an analysis of how it would interact with a host of other projects in the planning stages along the East Coast.

While Massachusetts politicians accused the Trump administration of delaying the project to death, officials at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management have been struggling with whether to look at the wind farm in isolation or as the first of many to come. Vineyard Wind officials sometimes feel as if they are being penalized for going first, with the delays throwing off their aggressive construction timetable and threatening to derail the project.

The project’s turbine layout is a good example of the problem. Vineyard Wind has approximately 84 turbines arranged on a northwest-southeast orientation, with the turbines nearly 9/10ths of a nautical mile apart. Most fishing interests are pushing for an east-west orientation, with the turbines separated by 1 nautical mile at a minimum.

It sounds like the two sides are not that far apart, but there doesn’t appear to be much room for compromise. Officials say any significant change in the layout of the wind farm would require Vineyard Wind to redo ocean bottom survey research that would not only cost tens of millions of dollars more but delay construction for a year or two.

Lars Pedersen, the CEO of Vineyard Wind, said his company consulted with fishing groups before deciding to go with the northwest-southeast orientation, which he said was favored by New Bedford scallopers who believed the layout would allow them to travel more quickly through the wind farm to their fishing grounds.

Pedersen acknowledged other fishing groups favor an east-west orientation, and said his company may adopt that layout on future wind farm projects. But he said his company made the decision to go with the northwest-southeast layout on this project because the scallop industry is so important financially to the region.

“You can’t do both,” Pedersen said of the two types of wind farm orientations.

Annie Hawkins, executive director of the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance, a group of fishing interests that formed last year, said the east-west layout is favored by her organization because it would lessen, but not eliminate, impacts on fishing activity in the wind farm area. She said most fish distribute along “benthic curves” that run east to west in the area of the wind farm.

Hawkins also said Vineyard Wind can’t be viewed in isolation. As a standalone project, its layout isn’t a huge problem, she said. But with other proposed wind farms off the coast leaning toward an east-west orientation, Vineyard Wind’s layout, if approved as is, could end up being different from the others and make navigation very difficult.

“This one would be an outlier,” Hawkins said. “It just doesn’t line up.”

The distance between turbines is another key point of contention between the fishing and offshore wind industries. Pedersen said 9/10ths of a nautical mile – the distance between turbines in Vineyard Wind’s layout – is roughly the distance from home plate at Fenway Park to Trinity Church in Copley Square. He said the distance between turbines in Europe is typically less – around 6/10ths of a nautical miles.

Hawkins said most fishing groups would prefer more space as they move up and down the lanes between turbines. She said the European example cited by Pedersen really doesn’t apply because fishing in the midst of European wind farms is prohibited, except in the United Kingdom.

South Fork Wind Farm, being developed by Orsted Offshore Wind and Eversource Energy off the coast of Rhode Island and Long Island, is proposing an east-west orientation with turbines spaced 1 nautical mile apart. The spacing on a north-south basis, however, is less, prompting complaints from fishermen. (Early this year, Orsted partnered with the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance to improve communication between offshore wind developers and the fishing industry.)

There is also a dispute about how much fishing actually occurs within the footprint of the Vineyard Wind project. Vineyard Wind paid for a study done by King & Associates of Plymouth that estimated the total value of the catch in the area was $471,242 a year. Vineyard Wind officials say they intend to make significantly more money available to mitigate any losses incurred by fishermen in dealing with the wind farm.

Hawkins said other studies suggest the fish catch in the area is larger. She noted a study done by Thomas Sproul, an associate professor of economics at the University of Rhode Island, found the King & Associates study undervalued the potential impact of the wind farm.

“I believe that the King Report is very far from a comprehensive and objective evaluation of economic loss to MA commercial fishing,” Sproul said in the summary of his analysis, which cited several specific deficiencies. “That said, the King Report does contain some elements of truth, in that the science is inconclusive in many cases and that exact evaluation of ‘exposure’ versus ‘actual losses’ needs to be taken into account in any mitigation evaluation.”

Gov. Charlie Baker, a champion of the Vineyard Wind project, met in Washington with top officials at the Interior Department on July 29 to learn more about their concerns and said afterward that he planned to develop a “cure plan” over the next few days to address them.

No one has specified exactly what needs to be cured. Baker said a number of federal agencies have raised concerns, but Reuters reported that one of the major roadblocks is the impact the wind farm would have on the fishing industry. The news agency reported that the National Marine Fisheries Service declined to support Vineyard Wind’s environmental permit because the project failed to fully address the concerns of the fishing industry, with orientation and the distance between turbines the two most prominent issues.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, an Interior Department agency, last week decided to expand its environmental review of Vineyard Wind project to better understand the cumulative impact of the many wind farm projects being proposed along the eastern seaboard. Many in the fishing industry say the approach has merit, but it’s tough on Vineyard Wind, which has said it would be very difficult to move forward with the project in its current configuration unless its environmental impact statement is approved by the end of this month.

Hawkins is not optimistic that a cure plan that satisfies all sides can be developed. “I don’t think you’re going to see a lot of concessions from fishermen,” she said. “I don’t really see a way the fishing industry is going to come out and say it’s not such a big deal.”

Vineyard Wind layout tough issue for regulators

August 11, 2019
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Undercurrent News: US fishing industry’s wind worries divide Trump camp, slow $2.8bn project

By News

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The US Department of the Interior (DOI) had seemed poised to move forward with the environmental impact assessment (EIS) needed for Vineyard Wind to begin building the US’s first offshore wind farm in the Atlantic Ocean as soon as this year.

The New Bedford, Massachusetts-based company, a joint venture between Avangrid, a division of the Spanish wind giant Iberdrola, and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, a Denmark-based investment firm with €6.8 billion ($7.6bn) under management, wants to erect more than 80 wind turbines that are 600-to-700-foot-tall – at least twice the height of the Statue of Liberty — in an 118 square mile stretch of the ocean starting some 15 miles from the coast of Martha’s Vineyard. It would contribute to America’s goal of reducing its dependence on fossil fuels by providing at least 400,000 New England homes and businesses with a combined 800 megawatts of power, while reducing carbon emissions by over 1.6 million tons per year.

One problem: Citing concerns expressed by New England’s commercial fishing industry, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) — a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which is part of the US Department of Commerce — is not yet willing to give its blessing on the $2.8bn project’s draft environmental impact statement (EIS).

It’s the reason, sources say, DOI’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) notified project officials in early July that the government was “not yet prepared” to issue a final EIS, as expected.

The wind farm and its transmission cables would be right in the middle of a prime area for the commercial fishing of cod, squid, oysters, lobsters and other species as well as a major transit route for scallop and other harvesters, the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance (RODA) has warned. The group of 160 commercial harvesters and processors, with vessels spread across nine states and operating in about 30 different fisheries, wants DOI to ensure the project has the minimum possible negative effects on those fisheries.

Annie Hawkins, RODA’s executive director, remains upbeat about the federal government’s recent response.

“It is very heartening that both [DOI] and NOAA have listened to the concerns of the fishermen and are seriously considering these issues and trying to come up with a resolution that will minimize the impacts to traditional and historic fishing,” she told Undercurrent News on Thursday.

A map of the future Vineyard Wind farm to be built some 15 miles from the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.

Why NOAA’s blessing is needed

When it comes to approving Vineyard Wind’s EIS, there is one agency that’s got more say than the others: DOI’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).

In case you don’t recall, president Donald Trump, roughly two years ago, used his executive order authority to issue a new policy known as the “One Federal Decision” to accelerate permitting process. It made one federal agency the “lead action agency” and established that separate permits were no longer required from other agencies.

BOEM is the lead action agency for the Vineyard Wind project.

BOEM is still required, under the Trump order, to have Vineyard Wind’s EIS reviewed by other federal agencies with roles in the permitting process for major infrastructure projects, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and NMFS. State and local regulatory bodies such as the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, the Cape Cod Commission, the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, local conservation commissions also have separate authorities to permit certain components of the project.

Each federal agency is asked to submit a determination that it supports BOEM’s preferred alternative.

However, in a decision led by Michael Pentony, the regional administrator for NMFS’ greater Atlantic office, NMFS has thus far declined. His explanation in an April 16 letter, a copy of which was reportedly secured by Reuters, included many of the same concerns expressed by RODA in a 24-page letter sent in February to BOEM.

In NMFS’ letter, which the agency declined to share with other media, Pentony reportedly said his agency couldn’t support the environmental permit for Vineyard Wind because, among other things, the distance between the turbines was too short at 0.75 nautical miles and it didn’t like the northwest-southeast alignment.

RODA and other fishing groups have suggested a minimum distance of one nautical mile between turbines would be better for at least some commercial fishing vessels (although many could still not operate without wider separation), as would be an east-west orientation. The currently proposed orientation does not align with traditional fishing patterns and would create additional safety and transit risks, RODA’s Hawkins explained to Undercurrent.

Additionally, RODA is concerned about the heat and electromagnetic fields that may transfer to the benthic sediment or the water column from the cable connecting the turbines to the power stations on land.

“Strong tidal currents run through the area where the cable is proposed, which could plausibly result in cable exposure under certain conditions,” RODA warned in its letter.

RODA also wants better baseline surveys done on the squid and other fish populations in the area, something that Hawkins said could take at least three years. Such studies would certainly delay the project, as Vineyard Wind had hoped to put the first turbine into the seabed in 2021 and have all of its turbines operational in 2022.

Raw squid. Credit: ShutterOK/Shutterstock.com

Raw squid. Credit: ShutterOK/Shutterstock.com

The draft EIS focused most heavily on squid with regard to the noise arising from both the project construction and its potential effects on squid behavior, but it over-relied on assumptions that they will swim away from the disturbance or, if they are sessile or too small, simply die and be replaced by a new population, RODA argued in its letter.

Town Dock, a Rhode Island-based harvester of squid, is one of the 15 companies represented by RODA along with Bumble Bee Foods, the O’Hara Corp., and the Wanchese Fish Company, a division of the Canadian giant Cooke. RODA also represents a wide variety of New England fishing groups, including nine trade associations, and well over 100 fishing vessels.

The group has been working hard to build relations with offshore wind developers and federal agencies, while simultaneously securing funding for regional research, Hawkins said.

Vineyard Wind ‘could happen 10 times over, or even 15 times over’

RODA also focused on Atlantic cod in its letter to BOEM, describing how the species is a “depleted” and “choke stock” in the area known as Georges Bank.

In particular, the group is concerned about a transmission line from the wind farm that would pass through an inshore spawning area for the fish, Hawkins explained to Undercurrent.

“Any further decreases in the Georges Bank cod population that result in lower catch levels will therefore not only jeopardize the recovery of the resource itself, but they will necessarily decrease revenues from all groundfish stocks,” the RODA letter warned.

The consequences of what BOEM does next are much bigger than the Vineyard Wind project, as many other wind farms are being planned that could follow the precedents set, Hawkins told Undercurrent.

The Vineyard Wind project involves only about a half of one of six areas already approved for wind farm leases in New England. There are also 10 other locations on the Atlantic Coast, from as far north as the Gulf of Maine to as far south as the coast of North Caroline, under consideration for future projects.

Whatever happens to Vineyard Wind “could happen 10 times over, or even 15 times over” on the US Atlantic coast, she said.

Whether NMFS ultimately will reach an agreement with BOEM remains to be seen. The agency sent Undercurrent the following statement late last week and declined to comment further:

“For more than a year, NOAA has been working cooperatively with [BOEM] and the project sponsor on the environmental review process for the Vineyard Wind project. As we have been from the start, NOAA is committed to ensuring fishing activities and offshore renewable energy interests can operate in harmony. At this point, the permitting process is proceeding and our agencies are working cooperatively to resolve concerns related to the environmental impact statement.”

Wind farm champions visit DOI

The champions of the Vineyard Wind project were here, in the nation’s capital, last week, lobbying DOI to move forward despite NMFS’ resistance. That included Republican Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker, who told the South Coast Today, a New Bedford-based newspaper, that his July 29 meeting with David Bernhardt, the new Interior secretary, was “really productive and substantive.”

His administration has helped to tout the notion that wind farming will bring Massachusetts some 400 jobs while becoming the main source for 3,200MW (20%) of the electricity consumed in the state by 2035.

Baker said his meeting with Bernhardt was part of an effort to gain “some clarity” in order to “cure whatever the concerns are”.

US Department of the Interior. Photo by Nicole S. Glass, Shutterstock.

Bernhardt, later in the week, also met with executives from Vineyard Wind, sources told Undercurrent, though the agency declined to confirm the meeting and a Vineyard Wind spokesman didn’t return calls.

Another political leader who has previously spoken in favor of the Vineyard Wind project is Democratic New Bedford mayor John Mitchell, though he also has expressed concerns about the welfare of his local commercial fishing industry.

New Bedford is the US’ main landing spot for Atlantic scallops.

“Although Vineyard Wind’s efforts to understand the concerns of the fishing industry have left room for improvement, I believe that the project can move forward in a way that delivers significant job creation in New Bedford, while protecting the interests of our fishermen and shore-side businesses,” he said in a statement sent to Undercurrent.

“Because the project will set precedent for other wind farms, it will be important that Vineyard Wind commit to, among other things, transit lanes of appropriate alignment and width, as well as robust mitigation measures, particularly those that would directly address the cumulative impacts of the wind industry.”

US fishing industry’s wind worries divide Trump camp, slow $2.8bn project

August 6, 2019
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New Bedford Standard Times: Fishermen say Vineyard Wind’s turbine relocation makes no difference

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Vineyard Wind’s decision to move three turbines farther away from Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket makes no significant difference to the preservation of fishing grounds, fisheries sources say.

The offshore wind company announced Monday that it had removed three of the 84 planned turbines from the north end of the grid and placed them elsewhere among its 106 approved turbine locations.

The south side of the Islands, where the change was made, is a prime squid fishing ground.

Katie Almeida, fisheries policy analyst for Rhode Island squid dealer The Town Dock, told The Standard-Times the move will do little to help the industry.

“The removal of the turbines gives a very small portion of our traditional fishing grounds back, however we still don’t know how construction and operation are going to affect squid in and around that lease area,” she said.

With spacing of Vineyard Wind turbines starting at eight-tenths of a mile apart, the space represents a few square miles. The wind farm is about 14 miles from shore.

The company said it moved the turbines to limit visibility from the Nantucket Historic District and Chappaquiddick and reduce the impact on fishing.

The town of Nantucket wrote a letter the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management last year asking that Vineyard Wind move 13 turbines — the first three rows — to the far side of the development. Too many visible turbines could negatively affect the character of the island, the town said.

The three turbines that Vineyard Wind decided to move were among those 13.

According to Vineyard Wind’s chief development officer, Erich Stephens, the change was designed to address issues raised by local communities and others.

“Where possible, we have a responsibility to minimize the project’s footprint with respect to the history and culture of the Cape and Islands, and existing uses of these waters,” he said in Monday’s press release announcing the change.

Scott Farmelant, a spokesman for Vineyard Wind, echoed that idea in comments to The Standard-Times on Thursday.

“It was a proactive decision by the company,” he said.

The move was not high on the agenda of the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance, or RODA, an organization that represents the fishing industry’s concerns about ocean-based development.

RODA Executive Director Annie Hawkins said she did not know of any fishing interests that had asked for the turbines to be moved. The industry is much more concerned about dedicated transit lanes, which she said should be planned in a comprehensive manner for multiple wind leases, not just one.

Fishermen also want the rows of turbines arranged to run horizontally, rather than on a diagonal, which is better for fishing operations, she said. And the industry is concerned about what the development could do to the ecosystem.

“Those are the issues, at RODA, that we care about,” she said.

The place where the turbines were removed is not a major scalloping area, according to scallop fisherman and fishing vessel owner Dan Eilertsen.

Vineyard Wind said it previously reduced the overall footprint of the project by 20% and is taking steps to protect the endangered North Atlantic right whale.

In January, the company signed a five-year agreement with the Conservation Law Foundation, National Wildlife Federation and Natural Resources Defense Council to take steps to protect right whales. They include suspending construction when whales are near the site and reducing construction noise.

https://www.southcoasttoday.com/news/20190627/fishermen-say-vineyard-winds-turbine-relocation-makes-no-difference

June 27, 2019
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WorkBoat: Path forward for offshore wind leasing on OCS

By News

What is the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s overall offshore wind leasing strategy? This is a question that is frequently asked during the many wind events in which we participate.

The demand for offshore wind energy has never been greater. Plummeting costs, technological advances, skyrocketing demand and great economic potential have all combined to make offshore wind a highly promising avenue for adding to a diversified national energy portfolio.

The U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) provides a world-class wind resource on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.

At the same time, BOEM recognizes that the ocean is already a very busy place, and so we must consider other uses, such as commercial and recreational fishing, vessel traffic, and military mission needs, in addition to important environmental considerations. This is why engaging stakeholders — including federal, state and local agencies, fishing communities, and the public — throughout our processes is such an essential part of our renewable energy program.

BOEM has 15 active commercial leases for offshore wind development that could support more than 21 gigawatts of generating capacity. The first commercial scale offshore wind facility on the OCS could be under construction as early as this year.

Offshore wind is an abundant domestic energy resource located close to major coastal load centers, providing an alternative to long-distance transmission or development of (onshore) electricity generation in these land-constrained regions.

Successfully harnessing this natural, renewable resource will require:

  • Reducing potential conflicts with other uses of the ocean and seabed.
  • Identifying, avoiding or mitigating environmental impacts.
  • Developing a reliable supply chain for the industry.

Achieving these objectives is critical for the continued development of the existing pipeline of projects and expanding lease offerings on both the Atlantic and Pacific OCS.

Executive Order 13783, issued March 28, 2017, establishes the federal policy of promoting clean and safe development of domestic energy resources, including renewable energy, to ensure national security and provide affordable, reliable, safe, secure, and clean energy. BOEM is uniquely positioned to guide future offshore wind development in the U.S. and significantly contribute to the nation’s energy portfolio.

In April 2018, BOEM developed and sought feedback on a Proposed Path Forward for Future Offshore Renewable Energy Leasing on the Atlantic OCS (83 FR 14881). The Atlantic Coast offshore wind assessment tool was developed to assist in planning where future offshore renewable energy leasing may occur. This tool uses a combination of positive and exclusionary factors to evaluate the potential for wind energy development on the entire Atlantic OCS. BOEM received multiple comments on the Request for Feedback about the Proposed Path Forward (which were incorporated into an updated assessment that can be found on BOEM’s website.) The major topics included: fisheries, marine traffic, DoD use areas, and state-specific renewable energy incentives. BOEM has adopted a similar assessment to identify potential leasing areas on the Pacific OCS. We will continue to work hard to balance the needs of all of our stakeholders through extensive and continuous engagement efforts into the future.

Employing a Regional Approach

BOEM believes that predictability in its planning and leasing process provides a benefit to the development of the offshore wind energy industry. As a result of this initial effort and analysis of the comments received, BOEM has identified the following forecast areas and will be moving forward with leasing using a regional approach, processing projects currently in the pipeline, and pursuing leasing activities as follows:

Gulf of Maine. On Jan. 2, 2019, BOEM received a letter from the Governor of New Hampshire requesting the establishment of an Intergovernmental Task Force. Although the State of Maine and Commonwealth of Massachusetts have not yet expressed interest in promoting development in this area, BOEM believes that the establishment of a regional task force for the Gulf of Maine area that includes Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts governmental members will support further dialogue and collaboration on offshore wind matters affecting shared natural, socioeconomic, and cultural resources on a regional scale.

Southern New England. There are currently seven active offshore wind energy leases in this area, totaling 902,391 acres. BOEM believes the current level of leasing is sufficient to meet the renewable energy goals established by the states in the region. Therefore, BOEM will continue to service the existing leases offshore Southern New England until there is additional interest from either the states or the offshore wind industry.

In regards to regional fisheries science, in 2019 BOEM and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts will enter into a cooperative agreement to begin regional fisheries studies that have been identified as priorities by the fishing industry.

New York Bight. In 2017, BOEM established the Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force for the New York Bight to ensure that future leasing off the coasts of New York and New Jersey properly consider and address regional concerns. Given the ambitious renewable energy goals established by the leadership of both states and the possibility for interconnection to both states, BOEM anticipates leasing additional areas in the New York Bight over time, pending completion of the Area Identification process later this year. BOEM refers to such areas as “Wind Energy Areas (WEAs).” These areas appear to be most suitable for commercial wind energy activities, while presenting the fewest apparent environmental and user conflicts.

Mid-Atlantic Seaboard. Delaware and Maryland have expressed interest in identifying additional WEAs. BOEM will continue to work with both Intergovernmental Task Forces to further evaluate leasing opportunities in each state.

VANC. Both the Commonwealth of Virginia and State of North Carolina expressed interest in identifying additional WEAs for potential future offshore wind leasing. According to BOEM’s analysis, both states have potential for offshore wind energy development and BOEM will work with the Intergovernmental Task Forces in this region to further evaluate leasing opportunities.

Carolina Long Bay. BOEM has combined the planning and leasing process for the WEAs located offshore Wilmington, N.C., and the “Call Areas” located offshore South Carolina to follow a similar regional model found in the areas to the North. (Call Areas are identified by BOEM prior to the Area Identification phase as areas that may be made available for future leasing, based on industry interest in acquiring commercial wind leases and additional information developed on the suitability of the areas.) Moving forward, recognizing that the offshore wind industry has evolved in recent years, BOEM will work with both North and South Carolina using a regional model to plan and analyze potential future offshore wind leasing in the Carolinas. We expect to establish WEAs later this year.

California. BOEM issued a Call for Information and Nominations to assess industry interest for three Call Areas on Oct. 19, 2018. We have received over 100 comments and 14 nominations from developers for all three of these areas. We are reviewing the comments and nominations received and will continue to consult with the state of California and federal agencies, including the Department of Defense, to inform our decision to offer all or part of the Call Areas for commercial wind leasing. We anticipate conducting a sale in 2020.

Oregon. BOEM is processing a research lease request for a wave energy testing facility in Oregon and cooperating with FERC, which has the licensing authority for marine hydrokinetic projects. BOEM is convening an Oregon Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force in the fall of 2019 to explore the possibility of future offshore wind development.

Hawaii. BOEM issued a Call for Information and Nominations in 2016 for two Call Areas offshore Oahu. BOEM continues to work closely with the state and the Department of Defense to identify areas appropriate for leasing for future wind development offshore Hawaii.

More Regional Considerations

BOEM continues to engage with our Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Forces, stakeholder groups, and the public, and we encourage establishing mechanisms to make that engagement more effective. A recent example is BOEM’s partnership with the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance (RODA) and the National Marine Fisheries Service to underscore our commitment to consider local and regional fishing interests in the offshore wind process, identify the most effective ways to bring fishing industry expertise and information into planning and development phases, and to develop a collaborative regional research and monitoring framework to ensure decisions are based on the best available science. We invite any of our stakeholders to meet with us to discuss more effective means of engagement.

Today’s offshore wind facilities are predominantly made up of monopile or jacket foundations. However, technology is rapidly advancing to the point where the industry could see the commercialization of floating foundations in the offshore wind market in the near future. In our original assessment efforts for the Atlantic, we considered areas shallower than 60m as a positive factor given the conventional “bottom-founded” technology that is limited to this depth. In response to the Request for Feedback about the Proposed Path Forward, we received multiple requests to assess deeper waters to consider floating turbine technology. As a result of comments received and the anticipated technological advancements, BOEM plans to further explore this exciting new possibility on the Atlantic coast through a whitepaper and workshop on deepwater development in early 2020.

As we near the construction and operations phase of several offshore wind projects, the topic of power transmission becomes increasingly important. There are multiple technical, environmental, economic, policy and regulatory questions that need to be addressed as an industry. In addition, due to the regional nature of offshore wind projects, transmission will impact multiple states, each with their own regulatory frameworks and priorities.

Under BOEM’s current regulations, a lease grants the lessee the right to one or more project easements for the purpose of installing transmission. In the future, BOEM anticipates receiving right of way requests from companies seeking to construct offshore grid connection networks. BOEM will continue to work with all of our stakeholders as we evaluate the viability of these alternative transmission models and ensure their compatibility with shared ocean uses.

Our continued support of a robust and sustainable offshore wind energy industry in the U.S. will require a thorough understanding of the drivers that make an area more or less suitable for development. This process must be informed by continued feedback from our stakeholders as well as additional research to understand the potential for environmental and socio-economic impacts.

We look forward to working with all these groups and others to ensure BOEM has the most recent and best available information to make informed decisions while implementing an all-of-the-above energy strategy.

Walter Cruickshank is the acting director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).

Path forward for offshore wind leasing on OCS

June 12, 2019
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Lost Coast Outpost: Stakeholders Voice Concerns and Cautious Optimism About Offshore Wind Energy at McGuire-Hosted Hearing

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A wide variety of interested parties gathered in a second-floor conference room at the Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center on Friday to explore this question: Can California’s fisheries and wildlife coexist with offshore wind energy development?

Over the course of the three-hour conference the consensus answer to that question seemed to be a qualified “yes,” though many cautioned that it will be essential for government and industry folks to consult with stakeholders early and often so communities can ensure that such projects don’t harm the environment or local fisheries.

The gathering, which was attended by government officials, industry professionals, environmental leaders and fisheries industry reps, was technically a hearing of the California State Senate’s Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture, and it was hosted by our own Senator Mike McGuire, who chairs that committee.

At the outset, the always-upbeat McGuire touted the “all-star lineup of panelists” who had been lined up for the event and divided into four separate panels: government agency reps, industry personnel, environmental leaders and, lastly, fisheries industry folks.

The government agency panel was up first, and like each subsequent panel they sat behind a long table that had been decked out in tablecloths of red and gold.

While several offshore wind energy projects have been developed in Europe, none have yet come online in the United States. However, Necy Sumait, chief of renewable energy for the Pacific Region at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), said today that her agency has conducted eight competitive wind energy lease sales for areas offshore the Atlantic coast, resulting in 15 active commercial wind energy leases.

Those leases, if fully developed, could generate enough energy to power 6.5 million homes, Sumait said. BOEM is now in the planning stages to identify additional potential lease areas off the coast of California and elsewhere, including (potentially) the waters west of Humboldt County. (Our ocean region has some of the highest wind speeds anywhere in the country, as you can see on this map.)

Sumait emphasized that BOEM is still in the earliest phase, planning and development, and when asked by McGuire to estimate how soon turbines might actually be installed and spinning off the West Coast, she said, “It could be — and don’t quote me on this — 2025.”

Chris Potter, a program manager with the California Ocean Protection Council, said wave, tidal and offshore wind energy projects could help the state meet its goal of zero-emission energy production for electricity by 2045 while creating jobs and reducing air pollution.

The next step in the process after potential lease sites are identified, Potter said, will be preparing for determinations of federal consistency with the California Coastal Act, which must occur before lease sales. This, he said, will provide a key opportunity for public input.

The state is funding studies at universities, including one at HSU exploring potential impacts to the marine environment and port-side regions of Humboldt Bay.

Dr. Kate Hucklebridge, a senior environmental scientist with the California Coastal Commission, said impacts to fisheries are probably unavoidable given how broad the fishing resources are in the state, particularly here on the North Coast.

During the industry panel’s time at the table, Kevin Banister, vice president of development at the offshore wind energy company Principle Power, said projects have already been proposed for both the north and south coasts of California, projects that could employ 17,000 people and generate 20 gigawatts of energy by the 2040s.

Mark Severy, senior research engineer at HSU’s Schatz Energy Research Center, said he and his Schatz colleagues are working on three wind-energy-related projects over the next year, though he also said there will be challenges locally. For one thing, power transmission capacity “is very limited in Humboldt County,” he said.

But Danielle Mills, California director at the American Wind Energy Association, struck a more optimistic tone, saying, “American wind power was born in California … and offshore wind energy is the future.”

She acknowledged that it’s important to collaborate with environmental groups but said it’s clear that the industry is coming to California, and the opportunities are “enormous.”

“Offshore wind has the potential to revitalize port communities like Eureka,” Mills said.

The next two panels expressed considerably more hesitation about the prospect of wind energy and its potential side effects. The panel of environmentalists voiced concerns about impacts to birds, marine mammals, fish and the rest of the flora and fauna in our region’s coastal seas.

“Very little is known about the bird component we have offshore here” because it’s too far out to conduct regular studies, said Chet Ogan of the Redwood Region Audubon Society.

He specifically expressed concerns about the Pacific black brant, though he said at least 40 species use the waters offshore of our North Coast region.

Jennifer Savage, California policy manager for the Surfrider Foundation (and a friend of this reporter), drew applause with her call for public transparency and rigorous vetting of the particulars, including third-party scientific analysis.

“Breaking free of fossil fuels is a global imperative … but we still have to do the right things the right way,” Savage said.

She added that while there have been many community outreach meetings on the matter, the majority have been rather repetitive in terms of content and light on details.

Sandy Aylesworth with the Natural Resources Defense Panel underlined the environmental concerns, noting that corals, sponges and fish live near the Humboldt Call Area, the local region slated for potential development. The spot is situated between two submarine canyons that serve as ocean wildlife habitats and nurseries while also sequestering carbon, Aylesworth said.

The final panel of the day was dubbed the “Fleet Panel,” and it included Harrison Ibach, president of the Humboldt Fishermen’s Marketing Association; Noah Oppenheim, executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fisheries Associations; and Annie Hawkins, executive director of an East Coast-based fisheries industry group called the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance.

These three — and particularly Ibach and Oppenheim — framed the prospect of wind energy development as yet another encroachment on the ocean territory that supports their struggling industry. This is a waterscape that’s already highly regulated and, as Ibach put it, “littered with large areas closed to fishing.”

Ibach also said fishermen have safety concerns: Will energy transmission lines interfere with the fleet’s routes back to shore in bad weather? for example. And floating wind farms will permanently take away vast swaths of fishing areas, further condensing their available fishing areas.

”We cannot afford to lose any more fishing grounds,” Ibach said.

“From our perspective this is equivalent to eminent domain,” the transfer of assets from one set to another, Oppenheim said. He argued that many questions have yet to be answered and said environmental analysis won’t take place until after tens of millions of dollars has been spent.

Fishing industry folks are not opposed to wind energy on principle, these panelists said. But Oppenheimer said, “We obviously have a lot of work to do to get this right.”

During the public comment period that followed the panel discussions, many praised McGuire for organizing such an informative and diverse hearing

But McKinleyville resident Dennis Mayo, speaking on behalf of local fishermen, reiterated the call not to restrict fishing grounds any further.

“I know this is gonna happen,” he said, “but we’re just trying to figure out which eye we want you to gouge out.”

Local crab and salmon fisherman Dave Bitts, however, thanked the government agencies, Principle Power and the Redwood Community Energy Authority for involving the fishing community early.

Jen Kalt, director of Humboldt Baykeeper, said she’d come to many meetings on this topic and this was the most informative. And regarding the concerns of fishermen she pointed out that climate change brings the prospects of increased ocean acidification, toxic algae and sea level rise to our region and beyond, so focusing on clean energy is imperative.

Humboldt County Supervisor Estelle Fennell thanked the organizers and said she, for one, is hopeful about the prospects. “The challenge is great, but it’s really, really exciting.”

In closing McGuire told those in attendance that he had heard the message to consult with stakeholders “early and often,” and he promised a follow-up hearing sometime in the next 12 months.

https://lostcoastoutpost.com/2019/may/3/stakeholders-voice-concerns-and-cautious-optimism/

May 3, 2019
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National Fisherman: Power of science: Alliance will call for fisheries-focused wind power research

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As wind energy initiatives blow across the bows of commercial fishing fleets on both U.S. coasts, stakeholders have noted the dearth of data on the effects of wind power in federal waters. Enter ROSA, the Responsible Offshore Science Alliance, which launched this week to fill the need for a collaborative regional science body to address fisheries and wind development. ROSA’s goal is to advance regional research and monitoring of fisheries and offshore wind interactions in federal waters.

“So much is poorly understood regarding the impacts of large-scale offshore wind energy development to fisheries and fish stocks, and studies that have been performed lack regional coordination,” says Annie Hawkins, executive director of the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance, which launched the new alliance. “This forum will be immensely helpful to the fishing industry so that it may provide leadership in study prioritization, methodology and execution through cooperative research.”

ROSA will bring together representatives of the maritime trades, offshore wind power developers, NMFS and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. RODA aims to create forums for dialogue on behalf of the fishing industry and is pushing to make sure fishermen are involved with the new organization as it begins to gain traction.

“America’s offshore wind energy future is dependent on scientists, fishermen and energy officials uniting under a common goal: safeguarding our invaluable marine resources,” said NMFS Director Chris Oliver, in support of the alliance. “NOAA Fisheries is pleased to be a part of this scientific endeavor to ensure our fisheries and fishing communities continue to thrive.”

ROSA’s initial focus will be on offshore wind development and fisheries from
the Gulf of Maine to North Carolina, but will be structured to address issues in other regions as wind power development expands in the United States.

“ROSA will seek to address broader aspects of the ocean environment that offshore fisheries and wind energy activities occupy including prefacility baseline activity, ecosystem-based fishery management, socio-economic effects, cumulative impacts, and other relevant issues,” according to the alliance’s initial framework document.

Several developers — including EDF Renewables, Ørsted, Shell New Energies, and Equinor Wind US — have expressed support for ROSA.

The majority of ROSA’s funding is expected to come from annual contributors, mainly from wind energy lease holders, as well as from federal and state partners.

The alliance will be structured with a board, executive council, a research council, and topic- and geographic-specific subcommittees. The goal is to form the executive council, plan the alliance’s initial meeting and hire an executive director in April, then continue to develop funding in the coming months and create the first regional research plan and priorities toward the end of the summer.

Power of science: Alliance will call for fisheries-focused wind power research

April 11, 2019
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Responsible Offshore Science Alliance Forms To Advance Regional Research On Fisheries And Offshore Wind

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April 8, 2019 — The following was released by the Responsible Offshore Science Alliance:

Today, the Responsible Offshore Science Alliance (ROSA) launches.

After many years of discussion and recognition of the need for a regional science body to address fisheries and wind development, ROSA has formed. It will provide for and advance regional research and monitoring of fisheries and offshore wind interactions in federal waters. It is a collaborative effort among fishing industry representatives, offshore wind developers, and state and federal government agencies.

ROSA’s goals are to collect and disseminate salient and credible data on fisheries and wind development, and to increase the understanding of the effects and potential impacts of wind energy development on fisheries and the ocean ecosystems on which they depend. It will further seek to address broader aspects of the ocean environment that offshore fisheries and wind energy activities occupy, including pre-facility baseline activity and resource status, ecosystem-based fishery management, socioeconomic effects, cumulative impacts, and other relevant science. It will be structured with an Executive Council, Research Council, and topic-and geographic specific subcommittees comprised of scientific and technical experts of diverse affiliations.

The Responsible Offshore Development Alliance (RODA) was a key partner in forming ROSA, and will ensure continual, comprehensive fishing industry representation in ROSA’s efforts.

“So much is poorly understood regarding the impacts of large-scale offshore wind energy development to fisheries and fish stocks, and studies that have been performed lack regional coordination,” said Annie Hawkins, Executive Director of RODA. “This forum will be immensely helpful to the fishing industry so that it may provide leadership in study prioritization, methodology, and execution through cooperative research.”

NOAA Fisheries supports the development of a regional science and monitoring framework through ROSA. As the federal agency charged with stewardship of living marine resources, including fisheries and associated fishing communities, NOAA also has an interest in the responsible planning, siting, and evaluation of offshore wind power activities. “America’s offshore wind energy future is dependent on scientists, fishermen, and energy officials uniting under a common goal: safeguarding our invaluable marine resources,” said Chris Oliver, Assistant Administrator for NOAA Fisheries. “NOAA Fisheries is pleased to be a part of this scientific endeavor to ensure our fisheries and fishing communities continue to thrive.”

Several developers including EDF Renewables, Ørsted, Shell New Energies, and Equinor Wind US have expressed support for ROSA.

“ROSA’s research and monitoring efforts will provide a collaborative approach to science in order to facilitate successful dialogue between the growing offshore wind industry and our long-standing fishing community,” said CEO of Ørsted U.S. Offshore Wind and President of Ørsted North America Thomas Brostrøm. “As the first offshore wind developer to partner with RODA, Ørsted believes in the need to strengthen dialogue in the communities where we work and deepen our understanding of the marine environment down the North American East Coast.”

“EDF Renewables is in full support of efforts to deepen the understanding of the effects of offshore wind development,” said Chris Hart, Head of U.S. Offshore Wind for EDF Renewables. “The ocean ecosystem and fisheries are of paramount importance as we move forward to build an energy industry in our oceans. ROSA, through a research-based approach will provide credible data to inform decisions and importantly the research will be cooperative bringing together the various stakeholders along with scientific and technical experts.”

“Offshore wind is one of the newest and fastest growing industries within the U.S., and as projects progress, it will be important to understand any potential cumulative impacts to ensure offshore wind projects effectively co-exist with the marine environment,” said John Hartnett, Shell Business Opportunity Manager for U.S. offshore wind. “We believe this collaboration with some of the industry’s key players will help to bolster research and monitoring efforts, which will ultimately allow us to make more informed decisions as we seek to responsibly develop our projects.”

ROSA’s funding is derived from annual contributors, including wind energy lease holders, with support from federal and state partners and other contributors interested in advancing ROSA’s mission. More information about ROSA can be found here. To inquire about becoming a ROSA supporter, please contact: info@rodafisheries.org.

April 8, 2019
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ME Lobstermen’s Association: NEW ORGANIZATION MAKES COLLABORATION A PRIORITY OFFSHORE

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Formed in 2018, the Responsible Off shore Development Alliance (RODA) is a membership-based coalition of fishing industry associations and fishing companies with an interest in improving the compatibility of new off shore development with their businesses. RODA endeavors to coordinate science and policy approaches to managing development of the Outer Continental Shelf in a way that minimizes conflicts with existing and historic fishing.

To do this, RODA seeks to formally engage with NMFS and other entities on collaborative research and monitoring. Th e organization wants to design and implement with NMFS a new model for a long-term, holistic, and collaborative research program that effectively gathers and incorporates fishery-dependent and independent data and expertise. RODA also seeks to create regional “science panels” in cooperation with NMFS to identify priority research and monitoring needs, prioritize research funding, and provide technical recommendations.

In January, RODA entered into a partnership agreement with Ørsted U.S. Off shore Wind to improve communications between the commercial fishing industry and off shore wind energy developers. Th is first-of-its-kind partnership creates an opportunity for those who fi sh commercially to provide direct input to the wind energy industry on matters of significant interest to their businesses. “Partnering with Ørsted is a significant step forward as we look to strengthen our ongoing dialogue between commercial fishermen and off shore wind developers,” RODA Executive Director Annie Hawkins said in a press release. “RODA believes that we need to develop solutions for off shore wind energy and commercial fishing to coexist.”

On March 26, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries signed a memorandum of understanding with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and RODA to bring fishing interests together with federal regulators.

Through the 10-year memorandum of understanding, RODA, NOAA Fisheries and BOEM will collaborate on the science and the “process of off shore wind energy development” on the Outer Continental Shelf. “The fishing industry has expressed its concern about the potential impacts of rapid large-scale wind energy development to coastal communities and sustainable fishing practices. Th is agreement paves a way forward for fishing communities to give meaningful input to federal regulators in determining the future of our ocean resources,” Hawkins said in a release.

http://mlcalliance.org/pdf/newsletter-april-2019.pdf

April 1, 2019
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Coastal Review Online: Fishing Interests to Get Say On Offshore Wind

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Federal officials say North Carolina will benefit from a new partnership that brings together local and regional fishing interests with federal regulators to collaborate on the science and process of offshore wind energy development.

The National Marine Fisheries Service announced Tuesday that it had signed an agreement with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, and the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance, or RODA, to collaborate with fishing interests on offshore wind energy development on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries Service is the primary federal regulatory agency in charge of marine life and habitats. BOEM, part of the Interior Department, issues leases for energy development. RODA is a membership-based coalition of fishing industry associations and fishing companies.

The 10-year memorandum of understanding says that NOAA, BOEM and RODA have mutual interests, including the responsible planning and development of offshore wind power and other offshore development that could affect fisheries, habitats and the industry they support. The agencies and the coalition agreed to collaborate and forge further agreements on issues of mutual interest.

The collaboration agreement comes at a crucial time in wind energy development, said Chris Oliver, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries. “This Memorandum of Understanding will help achieve NOAA Fisheries’ strategic national goal of maximizing fishing opportunities while supporting responsible resource development.”

The NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Office’s geographic scope spans fisheries from Maine to North Carolina. NOAA described fishing as an integral part of the region’s culture and economy going back hundreds of years, and said that offshore wind is an abundant, domestic energy resource near major areas of demand on the coast. Wind is an alternative to long-distance transmission or development of electricity generation in these land-constrained regions, the agency said.

“Any development on the Outer Continental Shelf must consider how these activities can affect current ocean users and the marine environment,” said BOEM Acting Director Walter Cruickshank. “That is why working with federal, state, and local agencies, fishing communities, and the public is such an essential part of our renewable energy program. We look forward to working with NOAA and RODA through early and constant communication to ensure that the most recent information is available to decision makers.”

Project in the Works

So far, only one company is working to develop wind energy off the North Carolina coast.

North Carolina’s Kitty Hawk wind energy area is about 24 miles offshore and covers more than 122,000 acres. Map: BOEM

In March 2017, BOEM held an auction for the Kitty Hawk Wind Energy Area off the coast of North Carolina. Avangrid Renewables, LLC bid more than $9 million and was the winner of lease OCS-A 0508, which covers 122,405 acres. The lease went into effect Nov. 1, 2017. In May 2018, BOEM approved a request to extend the preliminary term for the lease from Nov. 1, 2018, to Nov. 1, 2019.

Paul Copleman, communications director with Avangrid, said fisheries interests are being considered as the company moves toward development off the North Carolina coast.

“Over the past six months, we have met with fisheries stakeholders and others to discuss our plans to survey the Kitty Hawk wind energy area more than 24 nautical miles off the coast of North Carolina’s Outer Banks,” Copleman said in an email response. “Those meetings and conversations will continue as surveys progress and data are shared with all stakeholders, fisheries included. We are still very early in our due diligence, environmental studies, and meteorological analysis. We anticipate submission of the Site Assessment Plan in the third quarter, which would clear the way to deploy meteorological ocean buoys in early 2020. If all goes well moving forward, we could be online in 2025.”

Fishing Industry Concerns

Under the agreement, RODA is to work with NOAA Fisheries and BOEM to compile, develop and deliver the best available science and information necessary to address offshore development, fisheries management and ecosystem health.

“The fishing industry has expressed its concern about the potential impacts of rapid large-scale wind energy development to coastal communities and sustainable fishing practices,” said Annie Hawkins, executive director of RODA. “This agreement paves a way forward for fishing communities to give meaningful input to federal regulators in determining the future of our ocean resources.”

“The fishing industry has expressed its concern about the potential impacts of rapid large-scale wind energy development to coastal communities and sustainable fishing practices.”— Annie Hawkins, executive director, RODA

Hawkins told Coastal Review Online that the agreement will allow those involved in fishing to stay informed on offshore development without having to attend countless meetings.

“We have members in North Carolina and members with the North Carolina Fisheries Association,” she said, adding that the agreement “documents that we’re working together with these agencies to protect regional fishing interests. It helps provide that level of coordination and working with these agencies lets us take better approaches on how they take data and make decisions, which hasn’t been done in any comprehensive way.”

The process will help fishing interests in all states included in the agreement by bringing into the conversation issues such as economic effects, displacement and restricted transit areas offshore.

“It can be hard to identify who to talk to if you’re a developer or if you’re BOEM,” she said. “This way they can work through our channels without fishermen having to go to infinitely more meetings. We can work with the fishing industry and we have been working with the agencies to do that in a reasonably efficient and inclusive way.”

Hawkins said RODA’s membership is “really all across the board” on the issue of offshore wind development. “We have people who don’t want to see wind farms and we have people who want to work with wind farm developers, but they want to make sure (decisions are) based on good science. There’s much that isn’t known, and we can work together to develop better scientific information.”

Working together to engage local and regional fishing interests early and often throughout the offshore wind development processes will help develop a collaborative regional research and monitoring program and lead to scientifically sound decisions, NOAA said.

“This unified approach will help ensure the best possible science and information is used to inform offshore energy development planning, siting, and operations,” said Jon Hare, science and research director for the Northeast Fisheries Science Center. “Tapping into the expertise and the knowledge of the fishing industry is essential to this process.”

Engagement, Research, Monitoring

The federal government has 15 active leases covering nearly 1.7 million acres of the outer continental shelf for potential offshore wind development. Collectively, these leases could generate more than 19 gigawatts, or 19 billion watts, of energy. NOAA said that’s enough to power more than 6.5 million homes.

NOAA Fisheries manages more than 42 species important to commercial and recreational fishing as part of 14 fishery management plans. In 2016, about 4,600 vessels landed more than 1 billion pounds of key fish species, supporting roughly 140,000 seafood jobs. The region is also vital for numerous endangered and threatened marine species, including the North Atlantic right whale.

“NOAA is committed to assessing the impacts of offshore wind energy projects on these resources,” said Michael Pentony, regional administrator for the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office. “The development of offshore wind energy projects must be done in ways that support the protection and sustainable management of our marine trust resources, fishing communities, and protected species.”

In addition to planning, siting and developing offshore wind power, the agreement cites collaboration on regional research and monitoring to ensure decisions are based on the best available science.

NOAA said the collaboration with BOEM, states and fishing industry interests throughout the renewable energy leasing process will help improve compatibility of offshore wind with other ocean uses and create an effective regional research and monitoring program that will help improve understanding of potential ecological, economic and social effects related to offshore wind development.

Fishing Interests to Get Say On Offshore Wind

March 28, 2019
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